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Class #: 1

Symbolism In My Culture (60 mins)

Course

Grade 6: Art

Mini Unit Rationale


In this grade 6 class of 21 students, we will be exploring Canadian culture by learning about symbols in
art history, different cultures within Canada and the symbols and songs that relate to them, learning to
sing the traditional folk song Log Drivers Waltz. In a single Art class, followed by a single FSL and
ending with a single Music class we will be exploring and discussing symbols. Through compare and
contrast, we will generate ideas of what a symbol is, what symbols represent, and what symbols
represent Canadian culture, particularly those cultures pertaining to Quebec and Alberta. We will then
ask students to demonstrate their knowledge of symbols by creating a symbolic representation of their
culture in a Performance Task after the course of three lessons.

Overarching Questions:
In what ways can symbols and songs represent my culture?

PROGRAM OF STUDY OUTCOMES

ART GLO: Reflection: Component 3: Appreciation: Students will interpret artworks for their
symbolic meaning
SLO, C: Artworks contain symbolic representations of a subject or theme
SLO, D: Artworks can be appreciated at many levels, literal and symbolic

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students will be able to:
1. Describe what a symbol is, using your own words. (Blooms: Remember)
2. Validate their interpretations of a symbol chosen from the song Log Drivers Waltz.
(Bloomss: Evaluate and Understand)

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Access to computers/laptops/tablets and wifi


Room equipped with a Smartboard
Smartboard slide show of the definition of a symbol followed by images of exemplars of symbolism in
Art History
Chairs and other sitting mechanisms (bean bags, rocker-chairs, couches, mats, carpets, wiggle
cushions etc.) or countertops/standing desks
Loose leaf
Community pencil jar filled with 21 B pencils
21 Clip boards for writing on
Collection Bin

PREPARATION AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Put 21 students in predetermined groups of three based on complementary strengths and needs.
Have these groups displayed on the Smartboard at the beginning of the class
Have ready on Smartboard examples of symbolism in art (Blackfoot Petroglyphs and Horse and
Train by Alex Colville, North West Coast Beaver, and NWC Totem Pole)
For this lesson, the art room or class room should be set up as a discussion space (free of as
many physical obstructions as possible-desks, tables, art supplies, etc) with sitting mechanisms
in a semi-circle
Students should be allowed to stand in the back (only so that those sitting can still see), sit on
floor, and sit on chairs (or other sitting mechanisms)

Have the pile of loose leaf paper inside a Collection Bin, clip boards in an easily accessible
place, and a jar containing 24 B pencils in it for students to pick up/put away
Ensure all laptops/tablets are fully charged

PROCEDURE
Introduction
Invite students to stand/sit as they feel comfortable in the groups shown on the
Smartboard
Explain to students that Part of being an artist is being able to not only portray
visual messages, but also to be able to read messages from a piece of art. Part of
this is understanding symbols.
Ask students to describe what they think a symbol is
Ask students where they might find symbols
Ask students if symbols can mean different things to different people
Body
1) Open the Smartboard slideshow prepared for this class.
What is a
2) Compare what students say to a definition of what a symbol is:
Symbol?
A thing that represents or stands for something else,
Explore and
especially a material object representing something
Discuss
abstract
3) Ask students to closely observe and make mental notes of any
symbols they see in the following images: Blackfoot drawings
from Writing-On-Stone on theSmartboard, and Alex Covilles
Horse and Train, (read the notes for the respective image:
Writing-On-Stone: A petroglyph thought to symbolize the
circle of life and Canadian Painter Alex Colville
representing what follows when two unstoppable forces face
off; or a battle between old ways and new ways
4) Show students the pictures (below) and ask them what they see,
explain for each respective image:
1) North West Coast people used a certain style to represent
the characters from their legends and stories. This is (ask
students to guess until someone says) A Beaver!
Ask students what a Beaver represents.
2) This Totem pole that has symbols on it that may tell stories
of a persons personal revelations and/or successes, a family
event, or a community legend
Snowball Fight:
1) In their groups of 3, ask the students to decide amongst
Symbolism in
themselves who will be either Red, Yellow, or Blue
BRAIN BREAK
2) Reds will pick up 3 clip boards;
Yellows will pick up 3 sheets of loose-leaf; and,
Blues will pick up 3 B pencils for their group members.
While students are doing these jobs, bring up the Log
Drivers Waltz video on the Smartboard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upsZZ2s3xv8
3) Once in their groups, explain to students that The
lumberjack is a symbol of Canadian culture because the
logging industry has a place in many provinces. This

Time

10 min

Time

10 min

10 mins

Research using
laptops or
tablets

video was made by the National Film Board and it is


about lumberjacks. Play the video asking students to
watch for possible other symbols in the video.
5) Have students each write on their sheet of loose leaf a
possible symbol that they saw from the video, providing
help (in the form of writing down a symbol or helping them
identify a symbol) for the students who need it. Once they
have a symbol, have them crumple the loose leaf up into a
ball.
6) Ask students to stand by the walls of the room.
7) On the countdown from 3, students will throw their
snowballs at each other when the teacher calls out Go!
8) Encourage students to throw their snowballs at each other
for 20-30 seconds (while not running). Once the teacher has
signaled for the snowball fight to be over and the students
have stopped throwing the snowballs, have students pick
up one snowball and take it back to their group. Make sure
every student has a snowball.
9) As a group, students will discuss and write down one thing
they think each symbol may represent. Then, students will
crumple up the piece of paper again and stand at the edge of
the room.
10)Once all students are at the edge of the room, the snowball
fight repeats for 20-30 seconds. Once the teacher has
signaled for the snowball fight to stop, each student will
pick up a snowball and return to their group. Setting their
snowballs aside.
11)Standing up, have students: Breathe in through your nose,
(counting to five with fingers), hold for three seconds, and
breathe out through your mouth (counting down from five
with fingers) Repeat 3 times
1) Ask for students to select a laptop/tablet in an orderly
fashion
2) Have students return to their groups, turn on their
laptops/tablets, log on, and open their snowball.
3) Ask students to spend the next 10 minutes researching
(using websites in the following list) what the symbol on
their snowball means. Have them record any information
they find on the same loose leaf paper. Ask them to consider
how similar/different the first response to the symbols
meaning was compared to what they found online.
Websites:
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1444070816842
http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/embAlta.htm
http://culture.alberta.ca/about/emblems-of-alberta/
https://www.wikipedia.org/
4) Monitor students to ensure they are on task and that
searches produce appropriate results.

25 min

5) Remind students that symbols may mean different things to


different cultures and if they find this applies to their
symbol, they should include it in their findings
6) If students are finished early, have them draw their symbol
7) After 10 minutes, students will put away their
laptops/tablets, making sure to plug them in.
8) Next they will crumple up their snowballs, stand at the
outside of the classroom and have a 20-30 second snowball
fight, and return to their groups.
9) Ask students to regroup as a class. Take some time to
discuss:
A) What did your symbols mean?
B) Was your symbol an official emblem of Canada?
C) Did anyone have a symbol with multiple meanings?
Conclusion
Exit Slip: Have the students individually write on a flashcard:
1) In your own words, describe what a symbol is.
2) Identify and explain one symbol from Log Drivers Waltz
Ask Reds to return their clip boards, Yellows to put their unwrapped
snowballs in a collection bin, and Blues to return the B pencils to the jar
Dismiss class

Time

5 min

Assessment

By asking the questions at the beginning of the class, we are pre-assessing their knowledge
of symbols
The discussion following the snowball fight and research written on their snow balls will
provide a picture of how well students understand symbolism in Log Drivers Waltz
The Exit Slip will provide a further indication of the students understanding of the
symbols discussed in Log Drivers Waltz

Additional Notes:

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